


How Do We Know About Any of Us?

by VTsuion



Series: A Not So Simple Feeling [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alien Planet, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Character Development, Developing Relationship, Diplomacy, Drama & Romance, Empathy, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Star Trek I: The Motion Picture, Trust Issues, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21707500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VTsuion/pseuds/VTsuion
Summary: Everything is going well. Kirk and Spock are back together, they're just taking it slow. If only they could trust each other again. Getting trapped in a dangerous jungle on an alien planet, where even the plantlife seems to be working against them, brings everything to a head.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Series: A Not So Simple Feeling [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552153
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

Admiral Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy, accompanied by three security officers, materialized in the central square of an alien city. Everything, from the ground beneath their feet to the mound-like buildings lining the impression of a road, was overgrown with a matted kaleidoscope of plant life. Dark purple and red tendrils stretched to the tip of the tallest skyscrapers. But the city was not in ruins. Instead, it was crowded with humanoids bustling to and fro, even as the luminescent undergrowth threatened to engulf them too; in the place of clothes, their crystalline skin was covered in all manner of vines that trailed behind them like long trains and receded into the carpet of interwoven plants below.

Suddenly Dr. McCoy let out a sharp cry of surprise. “What in the-!” He glanced down at his feet to find them already entwined by several thorny blue shoots. He tried to shake them off, but they were only replaced by more with even sharper thorns than the first.

Around him, the rest of the landing party glanced down at their own feet to find them likewise ensnared by colorful vines. Some hastily attempted to kick themselves free, but the vines only clung tighter and were soon joined by more, wrapping their way up the officers' legs.

Spock looked down at his own dull brown vines - lacking in thorns, as Dr. McCoy was a little dismayed to note - with narrowed eyes. To the entire landing party he said, “I advise that you attempt to restrain your emotions. The plant life of Motus IV is known for its empathic abilities, and while mostly harmless” - he glanced over at Dr. McCoy’s thorns - “will react to your emotional state.”

“It’s not too bad,” Admiral Kirk said with a smile, looking at his own green vines that were covered in little yellow buds. He turned to the rest of the landing party with a more serious tone - as he did, the buds receded a little. “It shouldn’t restrict your movement. Let’s go.”

The captain led the way to the tallest building around. He was correct that the vines did nothing to hinder their movement, even as they continued to encroach. They seemed to unfurl indefinitely from the undergrowth, trailing after them as they walked. The first opportunistic shoots were quickly joined by more, clinging to their uniforms.

An almost reddish tendril chafed against Spock’s wrist. He did not know if its rough texture was merely the natural state of the plants on Motus IV or the result of some unrestrained emotion, but either way he put aside his discomfort. Any Vulcan would be disconcerted by a planet that expressed their emotions on their behalf, but it was not logical to resent that which he could not control. Spock tightened his grasp on his emotions and focused his attention on the mission at hand.

Kirk glanced over at his first officer. Spock's stoic, tight-lipped expression betrayed his discomfort as much as any human scowl. There was something unsettling about the way the reddish-brown vines had begun to creep onto Spock’s face, as though he were a statue rather than a living being. Kirk could feel his own vines scratching against his skin. At least they wouldn’t be on this planet for long.

Kirk glanced down - Spock’s hand was just inches away from his own. It would be so easy to bump into him as if by accident and convey a simple reassurance, some sympathy. But Spock was keeping his emotions under such careful control, Kirk didn’t want to disrupt it. Anyway, Kirk wasn't even sure Spock wanted his consolation, or if it would be an unwelcome intrusion on the Vulcan's mind - Kirk frowned in irritation that he even needed to wonder.

He felt the vines tighten around him, prickling against his exposed skin.

Kirk pushed all of his doubts aside and reached out to brush his hand against Spock’s.

For the instant that their skin touched, Spock felt a familiar wave of sympathy and concern. It was a very human impulse - one of their better, though the captain lacked the innate ability or the training to shield Spock from the rest of his thoughts and feelings that accompanied it in a turbulent undercurrent. Still, the reassurance was welcome and Spock met Kirk’s eyes to convey as much.

The captain flashed him a smile, as warm and welcoming as ever, but there was a weakness that had crept into it in the time since the end of their first five year mission.

Spock felt more vines wrapping themselves around him, tighter than the last, with sharp little thorns. Most were some shade of reddish-brown, but amidst them were a few green tendrils, like the plants of Earth, with small yellow buds. He glanced over at the captain and found that sure enough his green vines were likewise interspersed with brown. To Spock’s surprise, the brown vines coiling around the captain were littered not only with thorns, but also little purple buds.

Spock didn’t have time to reflect further on what that might mean as they passed under a giant fern-like bloom that served as the emblem of the peoples of Motus IV, into a tall, plant-lined lobby with hallways branching off of it in all directions. They went straight to the room where their case would be heard. Several of the highest officials of Motus IV were already waiting for them when they arrived.

The captain stepped forward to meet them with a smile. “Thank you for welcoming us on such short notice. I am Admiral James Kirk, representing the United Federation of Planets. This is my Chief Medical Officer, Dr. McCoy, and this is my First Officer, Commander Spock” - Kirk gestured to them each in turn.

“I am the tallest vine,” the largest and most senior official said - the universal translator struggled with the alien language. “These are my supports” - they gestured to the others.

“As we have seen since we arrived,” Kirk continued, “Your planet is home to incredibly diverse and abundant plant life. The plants on this planet are known to produce several compounds that can’t be found anywhere else in Federation space, many of which are essential to curing rare diseases. That's why we're here to request that a select group of Federation scientists be allowed to come to Motus IV to study these compounds in the hopes of reproducing them. In the meantime, the Federation is offering dilithium crystals in exchange for medicine-”

“How could you?” The senior official roared, cutting the admiral’s explanation short. The vines that covered all of the representatives of Motus IV present had become brighter and brighter as Kirk spoke and now they were sporting large thorns. “How could you come to our planet to say such things?” The translation was imprecise, but it got the message across.

“We mean no disrespect,” Kirk insisted.

But it only seemed to make matters worse - their vines grew brighter still, with dissonant stripes and clashing smudges and the ground beneath the landing party began to shift. “Leave at once and tell your Federation that they will not be welcomed back!”

“Please reconsider!” Kirk exclaimed. “Your medicine could save thousands of lives!”

His pleas went ignored and the senior official signalled for guards to escort the Starfleet officers out of the city.

* * *

The wall of vines that surrounded the city weaved itself shut and the away team found themselves on the edge of an alien forest. The mass of vines beneath their feet receded into the cover of giant stalks of all colors, some with spindly branches, others tall and flat, that waved in the wind like seaweed, and an understory of what almost looked like lily pads, short stems with a single flat circular leaf on top.

The captain flipped open his communicator. “Kirk to  _ Enterprise _ , landing party ready to beam up.”

The only answer he received was static. He tried turning the dial, searching for an open frequency, but to no avail.

“Captain,” Spock began.

“Jim!” Dr. McCoy shouted.

Kirk glanced up from the communicator as the vines below his feet began to shake. The security officers shouted as thorny tendrils tightened around their legs, threatening to pull them beneath the writhing mass.

Kirk didn’t need telling twice. “Run!” he ordered. “This way!”

The vines clung to them as they fled into the forest. They knocked the tendrils back, only for more to shoot out after them. Kirk staggered and fell as a vine wrapped around his leg. Before he could grab his phaser from his belt, more coiled around his arms, pulling him down into the underbrush. He strained against the vines, but they only wound tighter.

He almost shouted for Spock, but at the last moment he hesitated and the cry died upon his lips. He was about to yell for them to leave him behind instead when the vines suddenly slackened around him and a hand appeared in front of his face.

He could not help but grin as he took Spock’s hand and used it to hoist himself back onto his feet. They ran after the others, deeper into the woods, dodging past wayward branches and thorny brambles, moving as fast as they could to stay just out of reach of the vines. They ran until they found themselves stories beneath a dense canopy, where the vines had vanished into the undergrowth.

At last, they stopped and caught their breath. The three commanding officers convened just off to the side to take stock of the situation.

“I believe the difficulties we have encountered are a manifestation of the attitudes of the people who inhabit this planet,” Spock explained.

Kirk nodded. “I’m inclined to agree.”

“We need to get out of here,” Dr. McCoy insisted. “As much as we need that medicine, they made it clear they won’t be giving it to us.”

“Unfortunately, I suspect it is the forest that is interfering with our communicators,” Spock said. “I do not think we will be able to contact the  _ Enterprise _ unless we return to the city and possibly not until we reconcile with its inhabitants.”

“Could we get out of their range of influence?” Kirk asked.

“I do not know,” Spock said.

Kirk nodded, already lost in thought. At last, he said, “We need that medicine anyway. Let’s go back and try again.”

Spock and Dr. McCoy both looked at him, weighing his decision, but neither protested. Kirk counted it as a victory.

He turned to the security officers, recovering a little way off. “Any injuries?”

They all responded in the negative.

“We’re going back to the city to try to talk some sense into them so we can at least get back to the ship. Let’s go,” Kirk ordered.

The alien trees grew so close together they had to walk single file. Spock took the lead with his tricorder, following some faint signal back to the city. Kirk and Dr. McCoy went shortly after, and the security officers took up the rear.

They wound between reaching branches and flexible trunks that seemed to bend over to block their path. The brambles underfoot seemed to claw at their ankles, seeking any skin to scratch. As long as they kept moving, they kept out of the grasp of the vines, reaching out from the undergrowth. At least the ground, dappled with ever shifting shadows from the wind-tossed canopy above, was solid beneath their feet.

Something rustled in the woods beyond - whether it was the plants themselves or something crawling through them, they could not tell. No one could see far through the dark, dense trees, but a creeping feeling that something was watching them lingered.

“Sir!” one of the security officers exclaimed abruptly. His voice rang through the quiet forest.

The others scanned the area with the phasers as he glanced around frantically.

“I thought I felt… something,” he attempted to explain.

Kirk nodded and turned to the other security officers.

They shook their heads. “I can’t see anything,” one spoke up.

“It might be nothing,” Kirk said, “But keep an eye out. If anyone  _ thinks _ they see anything, I want to hear about it.”

As they stood still, the vines clung to their boots and pant-legs, as though to root them to the spot. They hastily shook them off and kept moving.

They marched onward in silence. Even the sound of the underbrush crunching under their feet seemed too loud and conspicuous. Ever so often, they would hear a rustling or creaking in the woods around them; something following them, perhaps, but it never lasted long.

Kirk saw something move out of the corner of his eye and spun to face it, but there was nothing there.

The others stopped around him. Spock already had his phaser in hand, ready to shoot whatever Kirk was looking at.

Kirk held up a hand for Spock to hold his fire and shook his head. “It’s nothing. Keep moving.”

Before the vines could latch on to them once more, they all picked up the pace and continued on through the woods.

Suddenly, Spock came to an abrupt stop.

Kirk nearly ran into him before he noticed and signalled the rest of the landing party to halt.

Spock stared down at the tricorder as though he could not understand the readings. “Captain,” he said at last.

“What is it?” Kirk insisted, his voice low.

“We have gotten no closer to the city. It appears we are, as a human might say, being led in circles,” Spock said.

“What?” Kirk’s voice echoed around them, startlingly sharp. More quietly, he asked, “Is there something wrong with the tricorder?”

“Negative,” Spock replied. “I have attempted to take the most efficient route to the city, however the plant life appears intent on blocking our path.”

“We could go back the way we came,” Kirk suggested. He reflexively glanced over his shoulder, but the trees behind them grew too tightly for them to easily pass, as though there had never been a path at all. There was no use in turning back.

Spock raised an eyebrow, but he otherwise appeared unsurprised.

“I don’t want to upset the locals more than we have to, but it looks like we don’t have a choice,” Kirk said, more to himself than the others. To the rest of the away team, he said, “Phasers out; we’re going to have to cut our way through. Do as little damage as possible.”

Spock blasted aside a large bramble and led the way off the path they had been following. They squeezed between trees and stepped around the underbrush when they could, and cut through when they couldn’t. The forest rustled around them. The trees and vines seemed to grab at them as they passed, as though trying to hold them back, but the plants were no match for their phasers.

“I don’t know what I did wrong,” Kirk remarked to Dr. McCoy as they picked their way around a grasping bramble. He glanced up at Spock, no doubt evaluating his every word, even as he appeared transfixed by his tricorder.

“I don’t think  _ you _ did anything,” Dr. McCoy retorted. “Their language is so alien you may have been speaking gibberish to them, for all we know.”

Kirk gave him a dubious look.

“Anyway,” Dr. McCoy continued, swatting away a wayward vine, “You’re not the one who came up with those terms. If they didn’t like what the Federation had to say, that’s not your problem.”

Before Kirk could protest, a shout came from behind.

One security officer was down, another bent over him and the third was scanning the forest around them with her phaser. Dr. McCoy pushed past the two other officers to get to the injured man.

“What happened?” Kirk demanded of the others.

“He just tripped,” one said.

The other hesitated. “I thought I saw something moving around in the woods, but I’m not sure…”

“Bones?” Kirk turned to the doctor for answers.

“Just a twisted ankle,” Bones said, still bent over his patient. “He’s not going to be able to walk on it for a little while, definitely not through all this, but it shouldn’t take too long to fix, at least well enough to get him back to the ship.”

Kirk nodded. He scanned the woods around them, searching for anything out of place, but the ground was covered in a thick underbrush that made it more likely to trip than not. He glanced over his shoulder for Spock’s opinion, but the Vulcan was nowhere in sight.

Kirk turned to the others. “Did Commander Spock say he was going anywhere?” he asked, but he had a sinking feeling that he already knew the answer.

The security officers shook their heads.

“Spock!” Kirk called out into the woods, giving away their location for all to hear. “Spock, are you there?”

“We could spread out to search for him, sir,” one of the security officers suggested.

Kirk shook his head. “I don’t want to risk anyone else getting lost.”

Kirk ordered the security officers to keep an eye on the woods while he stepped over to Dr. McCoy, still tending the downed officer.

“Bones, Spock wouldn’t just leave, would he?” Kirk said, his voice low.

“I don’t think so…” Dr. McCoy said, but he didn’t sound too certain.

“Maybe he found something,” Kirk suggested, but it wasn’t much of a comfort. Either Spock had left without a word or something even worse had happened to him.

“Captain, sir!” One of the security officers exclaimed, interrupting his less than productive thoughts.

Kirk hastily forced himself back onto his feet and faced the security officer, all business. “What is it?”

“I found Mr. Spock’s tricorder.” She held it up for Kirk to see.

His heart sank like a stone. “Any sign of Mr. Spock?”

She shook her head.

“Thank you, Ensign,” Kirk said as he took the tricorder from her. “See if you can find anything else, but stay where you can see us. This forest may be trying to separate us.”

She gave a sharp nod in acknowledgement and returned to scanning the woods around them. As soon as she had turned the other way, Kirk sat back down next to Dr. McCoy.

The doctor was watching him cautiously, as though he was debating whether to speak up.

“How’s he doing?” Kirk asked at last with a nod toward the injured officer.

“He’ll live,” Dr. McCoy said. “I’m doing what I can, but it’ll take time. We may be able to move him to somewhere more comfortable, but that’s about it for the next few hours.”

Kirk clenched his fists. He could not meet the doctor’s eyes. “By then it could be too late. It could be too late already, but we can’t risk another officer.”

Dr. McCoy put a hand on Kirk’s shoulder. “Jim-”

Kirk glanced up and shook his head. “I’m the captain, it’s my duty to make sure  _ everyone _ gets out of here alive. It’s my fault we’re lost out here in the first place. I can’t go running off just because I’m worried about Spock.”

“Jim,” Dr. McCoy attempted again, “As comforting as it is to have the captain watching your every move” - he pointedly glanced over at the other security officers, standing stiffly at attention as they surveyed the woods around them - “I don’t think there’s much you can do here.”

“But if something happens,” Kirk protested.

“I think we can manage,” Dr. McCoy said. “I’ve heard on other ships away teams manage without their captain all the time. I would join you, but I’m needed here. At least it doesn’t look like this place is trying to kill us, so if you don’t make it back, we’ll come looking for both of you.”

Kirk gave Dr. McCoy a small smile. “Thank you, Bones.”

“Stop wasting time and go rescue that Vulcan,” Dr. McCoy insisted.

“Yes sir,” Kirk said and forced himself to his feet. To the other officers, he said, “I’m going to find Mr. Spock. If all goes well, we’ll meet back up with you here. In the meantime, keep each other safe and stay together.”

“Sir,” one of the security officers protested, “With all due respect, are you sure you don’t want one of us to accompany you?”

Kirk shook his head. “I don’t want to risk anyone else getting lost. If we don’t return and you can’t find us with the tricorder, go back to the city for help. We’ll try to meet you there.”

“Yes sir,” the security officers replied, standing at attention.

“At ease.” Kirk said and the security officers returned to standing watch over Dr. McCoy and their downed comrade.

The captain turned and took out Spock’s tricorder. He waved it at the woods around them. He couldn’t decipher the finer points of the readings, but they were consistent; for all their different forms, the plants on this planet were all made of about the same compounds. The humans - his officers - gave off a completely different signal, and there was little doubt that a Vulcan would do the same.

Kirk walked in a circle around the others, pointing the tricorder in all possible directions until  _ finally _ he detected a faint blip of a familiar copper compound.

* * *

Spock could hear them.

Humans were, on the whole, not a quiet species. Even without his tricorder, their movement through the forest should have been easy to track. And he could hear them trampling through the underbrush a ways ahead of him. But they should not have been able to move so quickly. As a Vulcan moving alone, he should have been able to easily out pace a group of humans. And yet, somehow, they always remained just out of reach, as though they were purposefully moving as quickly as possible to evade him.

It was an irrational suspicion.

Perhaps they were under the impression that something else was chasing them, something dangerous, and in their illogical fear, they fled without realizing Commander Spock had been left behind. He should not have been able to lose them in the first place with his superior hearing, but somehow they had shaken him.

Spock could almost hear the captain’s voice in the distance, as though he was shouting for help.

Spock quickened his pace. No matter what, he would not lose Jim again, would not leave him to whatever creatures - flora or fauna - lurked in this forest.

Without warning, the landing party changed direction again, as though to shake whatever was pursuing them.

He adjusted his heading to match, pushing between alien stalks and wrestling with the underbrush. Humans could not keep up such a pace for long. They had to stop for breath soon, he only hoped he would reach them in time.

And then, as he hurried through the forest, he heard something like a small pellet dropping on one of the large, circular leaves that towered overhead. He paid it little heed, like the rustling of the underbrush that was presumably caused by the overactive vines. His attention was fixed on the distant sound of the away team.

But the first pellet was followed by another, and then a third in shorter succession. Soon, the patter of falling pellets formed an intermittent rhythm overhead. Spock was native to a desert planet and spent most of his time offworld on a climate-controlled starship. Therefore, he could, perhaps, be forgiven for not recognizing the essential sound.

However, by the time the first cold, wet drop landed on his skin, he knew exactly what it was. He pushed on even faster through the woods as the soft pitter-patter turned into a steady rain. It soaked into his thin uniform and made the air feel cold against his skin.

He pushed his discomfort aside as he tried with all his superior Vulcan hearing to detect the movement of the landing party over the rain. They had seemed so loud in the quiet forest, seemingly devoid of other animal life. But now, with the cacophony of thousands of water droplets between them, he was starkly aware of the distance between him and the others. He could still faintly hear them over the din, but if he let them slip just a little farther away, or the rain got just a little bit louder, he would truly be lost. And without his tricorder, there was no guarantee that he would be able to find them again.

Spock ran across the muddy ground, nearly slipping and sliding as he chased after a sound he could barely hear.

“Spock!” He almost thought he heard a familiar voice calling him under the pounding of the rain. “Spock! Spock, wait!”

Spock slowed - possibly wasting precious seconds - and turned to face the source of the voice. He found himself, illogically, face to face with Admiral Kirk.

Kirk nearly threw himself at Spock. He grabbed Spock by the shoulders, as much to assure himself of his First Officer’s presence as to help himself stay on his feet as he skidded to a stop.

He smiled up at Spock as though they were not standing in the pouring rain, dripping wet. Water streamed down his face, plastering wayward strands of hair to his forehead. His clothes clung to him, badly waterlogged, and his pants were thoroughly splattered with mud.

Kirk gave Spock a once over. He was cold and wet - unpleasant for any Vulcan - but there was no trace of an injury. It was a relief, but still, Kirk’s smile faltered. He could not help but wonder what, then, could have drawn Spock away from the landing party. However, now was not the time.

“Come on, let’s find some shelter,” Kirk said.

Spock reclaimed his tricorder and led the way through the soggy forest to the nearest concentrated mass of inorganic material. The forest, for its part, seemed to do little to stop them. They soon found their way to a small cave. Its exterior was so overgrown with vines, they would not have known it was there if not for the tricorder, but the inside was dry, and that was what mattered.

They moved a sizable rock to the middle of the cavern and Kirk used his phaser to heat it up, so that it emanated enough warmth to dry their clothes and bring warmth back into their cold limbs. Kirk stepped outside for just a little longer in an attempt to clean his mud-stained pants before finally calling it good enough.

“Is it alright if I-?” Kirk motioned to remove his soaked shirt.

Spock nodded, though he neglected to do the same.

With his torso bare, it was impossible for Spock not to notice how much healthier Kirk looked than when he had first returned to the  _ Enterprise _ . For all his lack of sleep and overworking himself, Kirk had resumed eating regular meals and exercising to appreciable effect. Spock also did not miss that whatever had caused the landing party to flee so suddenly had apparently done no damage to the captain’s person.

They settled in around the glowing rock, Spock considerably closer to the dry heat source than Kirk. They watched each other, each sizing the other up as they waited for them to speak.

Finally, Kirk was the one who broke the silence. “What happened? Where did you go?”

“I would ask you the same question,” Spock replied, his emotions shielded behind an impassive visage.

Kirk frowned. “You vanished - without telling anyone. All we could find was your tricorder. I was worried you’d been dragged away by those vines.”

“Your mystery has a simple conclusion; it appears in your haste, you did not notice I was no longer with you,” Spock replied, unable or unwilling to keep some sharpness from his voice.

“You were right in front of us!” Kirk protested. “One of the security officers tripped and then I turned around and you were gone. We didn’t go anywhere - we couldn’t have!”

Spock’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Lacking my tricorder, I attempted to follow the landing party by sound - I heard the entire party moving until you found me. From the rate at which you were traveling, I concluded you were under the impression you were being chased.”

“That’s impossible,” Kirk insisted. “We stopped right before we realized you were gone, and we couldn’t have been separated for more than a few minutes...”

After a moment's thought, Spock suggested, “It appears this forest has been leading us in circles in more ways than one.”

“I guess so,” Kirk said, suddenly sheepish. “Sorry, you had me worried there. I’m just relieved you’re alright.” He reached out a put a tentative hand on Spock’s shoulder - his shirt was still a little damp from the rain.

Spock inclined his head in acknowledgement. “I am likewise relieved that you are unharmed.” He held out a hand toward Jim, his first two fingers extended.

Jim lit up at the familiar gesture and eagerly mirrored it, to meet Spock in the middle. Their fingers touched and a warmth, wholly different from the glowing rock in the center of the cave, passed between them. They lingered there for a moment, and Spock let their fingers rub together, conveying some tactile human affection that sent a little jolt down Jim’s spine, as well as opening up the link between their minds a little further, to let the truth of what had really happened flow through.

When at last they pulled away, some of the tension between them was gone. Jim gave Spock a familiar hopeful smile and Spock smiled back in his subdued way. Jim took it as an invitation and scooched a little closer, so he could lean against Spock’s side.

Spock tensed at the unexpected contact, but he soon relaxed, at least appreciative of the human’s warmth. Spock’s bony shoulder dug into Jim’s back, but for being stranded on an alien planet, it was surprisingly comfortable, peaceful, even; relaxing side by side in a warm, dry cavern while the rain pounded on outside. Jim sighed and let his eyes fall shut.

Perhaps it should not have been a surprise that it did not take long for Jim to doze off.


	2. Chapter 2

The feeling of something constricting his chest jarred Jim into awareness. He found his whole body trussed up with vines. They wound up his legs, around his torso and down his arms. He could even feel a few rough tendrils clinging to his face.

He gave a shout of surprise and nearly fell over in the rush to free himself.

Only then did he realize that the whole floor of the cave beneath him was covered in vines, and the surface he had been leaning against was significantly softer than Spock’s shoulder.

“Spock!” he cried, but to no avail.

Jim tore off the creeping tendrils, wincing a little as they clung to his bare skin, and scrambled around to face Spock - or where he had been when Jim fell asleep. There was the faint outline of a humanoid, seated with his legs crossed as though for meditation, covered in a mound of vines. The side that Jim had been leaning on was molded to his form, as though it was beginning to engulf him too.

If only Jim hadn’t fallen asleep, he would have been able to prevent this. He only hoped Spock could still breathe under all of the vines. His only consolation was that if the forest had been trying to kill them, it should have done so already.

More vines were already beginning to creep up Jim’s legs, winding almost painfully tight around his ankles, but that was nothing compared to the mound that covered Spock. Jim tore at it, pulling away vines by the handful whether they were covered in buds or burrs. Thorns dug into his arms and legs, as though trying to drag Jim away, but he could not relent until Spock was free.

Finally, he glimpsed the pale blue of Spock’s uniform over his chest, thankfully still rising and falling with his steady breathing. That seemed to be enough to awake Spock from his meditation. With a forceful shove, Spock sloughed off the remainder of the vines and stepped back, away from the remainder of the mound that had buried him.

“Spock,” Jim exclaimed, smiling uncontrollably with raw relief.

He reached out to confirm that Spock was truly there and alright, but the Vulcan deftly stepped aside, his body stiff and his expression as flat as ever, with his lips pressed into a thin line. Jim could almost feel the discomfort and distrust radiating off of him.

Jim’s face fell. He stepped away and pulled back on his shirt, before facing Spock again, his arms crossed over his chest. Spock watched him warily, as though waiting for him to make another mistake. The vines still dug into Jim’s legs, but he refused to give them the satisfaction of a response.

“We should keep moving,” Jim said at last and led the way back out into the forest.

It was still drizzling, but it was hardly the rain from a few hours before. Jim ignored his stomach growling in discomfort. The sun was low in the sky, but if they made good time, they might be able reach the others not long after dark. Jim turned to Spock to see which way the tricorder indicated they should go.

However, Spock had other plans. “You require sustenance,” he said with some impatience.

Jim frowned - he could feel thorns poking through his uniform. “It can wait.”

“The other members of the landing party are probably likewise in need of sustenance,” Spock pressed, as though it was an obvious concern.

Jim let out a sigh. He didn’t like it, but Spock was right. They could all probably use something to eat, especially the injured officer; an accelerated recovery was taxing even under the best circumstances.

“Alright, lead the way,” Jim said, though he couldn’t quite keep the irritation out of his voice. He waved for Spock to go ahead of him.

They waded through the forest in silence. The undergrowth clung to them with tendrils and thorns as they passed and the tall, flexible stalks of what passed for trees seemed to squeeze closer together as though to hinder them. It was slow going, even more so for Jim than for Spock, who had his human inefficiencies to contend with as well as the woods themselves. The vines seemed to wind tighter and tighter around him even as he struggled to free himself.

Spock didn’t say anything, of course, but Jim could see the Vulcan standing almost at attention as he waited, his posture perfectly straight, watching Jim with narrowed eyes and an almost arrogant tilt of his head. Jim wanted to snap at him, but he held his tongue. Even in the short time it took Jim to catch up, he could see the vines beginning to wind around Spock’s ankles.

Finally, they found some fruit-bearing trees.

Spock examined the sizable purplish-brown fruits with the tricorder. “As they have not been cultivated for human tastes, I doubt they will be pleasant, but it appears the only toxic substance they contain is an enzyme which should denature when exposed to sufficiently high temperatures,” he reported.

Jim nodded. “We should be able to cook them. Let’s get back to the others.” He glanced up at the sky and frowned - it was already beginning to darken.

They gathered as many of the fruits as they could comfortably carry and continued on through the forest. The sun dipped below the horizon and the only source of light that remained was the sickly green glow of the clouds, presumably reflecting the artificial light of the nearby city. In the shadow of the forest’s canopy, it was almost pitch black.

Jim attempted to pick his way blindly through the underbrush, trying not to trip on the uneven ground as the vines and thistles grabbed at his boots and seemed to shred his pant legs. If he stared too long at a tree or branch ahead, it seemed to dissolve into the darkness. Even Spock, pushing through the forest in undeterred in silence, threatened to vanish into the night.

And then, over the sound of the underbrush crunching under his every step, Jim heard something rustling behind them, like vines slithering through the woods. Jim attempted to quicken his pace, and nearly tripped. He could almost see something moving in the forest around them, but he couldn’t really see anything in the dark.

Spock stopped and turned to face him, his eyebrows raised as though to ask, “What is it now?”

“What are you waiting for?" Jim snapped.

The rustling was getting closer…

“You,” Spock replied pointedly. He made no move to continue.

“Keep moving,” Jim ordered and Spock obliged, though he seemed to be in no hurry.

Jim felt something brush against his ankle and nearly jumped. He pulled out his phaser and scanned the ground, but all he could see were dark shapes that seemed to fade in and out of the shadows until he couldn’t tell what was solid and what wasn’t.

Jim reluctantly holstered his phaser and looked up to find Spock watching him, an eyebrow raised in disbelief. Jim pushed past him without a word.

“Jim,” Spock spoke up at last, “There is no cause for concern." Jim faced him and made to protest, but Spock continued, "I will not allow any harm to come to you."

“Spock,” Jim said, surprised, a smile slowly spread across his face. But he turned serious as he continued, “It’s not me I’m worried about; the vines don’t seem that interested in me.” He sighed. “What happened earlier was my fault. I shouldn’t have let my guard down when I knew it was dangerous.”

“I likewise lowered my defenses when I should not have.” Spock hesitated. “I hoped that through meditating I could restrain my emotions enough to prevent them from influencing the native plant life, however, doing so appears to have attracted them instead.”

“If I’d been awake, I would have been able to stop them,” Jim insisted, “They’re just vines, they shouldn’t be able to move that quickly.”

“It is not your responsibility-” Spock began.

Jim grabbed Spock by the shoulders, perhaps with more force than was strictly necessary and met his eyes with fiery determination. “As your commanding officer and your friend, of course it’s my responsibility - if only you’d trust me with it!”

Spock seemed ready to argue, his eyes narrowed as though he were attempting to puzzle through a completely illogical line of reasoning. However, at last, he relented - “I apologize for giving you cause for concern.”

“It’s not your doing.” Jim loosened his hold on Spock’s shoulders. “We’ll be off this planet soon.” He gave Spock a weary, but sympathetic smile.

Spock inclined his head in appreciation. “It is not ideal for Vulcan inhabitance.”

Jim nodded, his smile a little wider at Spock’s subtle humor, even under less than ideal circumstances. “It doesn’t help that it’s actively trying to get rid of us...” He trailed off, his eyes wide as the forest transformed around them. “I guess it isn’t all bad,” he marveled.

Almost every living surface for a few feet around them was aglow with fluorescent light of all different colors. The large, almost translucent trunks seemed to glow from within, covered in bright stripes of vines. Thin stalks that waved in the wind like seaweed underwater were decorated with ever-shifting splashes of color. The canopy above twinkled like stars. They all let off a dim light, but it was enough to illuminate the dark forest.

Still, Spock stood stiffly, frowning ever so slightly at the brilliant display around him. “I would prefer it if it were not a reflection of my emotions.”

“They’re probably just responding to me,” Jim suggested with a grin - the woods seemed to glow a little brighter for it. “You know I never could keep my feelings under wraps.”

Spock looked unconvinced, but he let his hand brush against Jim’s to pass some restrained gratitude through the contact. He felt the vines loosen around his legs.

Jim stared up at the starry canopy for just a moment longer, and their hands lingered together, letting some of his enthusiasm echo between them, soothing Spock’s nerves just a little.

Finally, Jim settled back onto the surface of the planet with a renewed sense of purpose. “How far away are the others?”

“We are significantly closer to the cave where we waited out the rain,” Spock replied. “I recommend we return there so that you can sleep.”

Jim frowned, but he nodded in assent. “Your meditation was also rudely interrupted. We can switch off sleeping.”

“With all due respect,” Spock said, “Vulcans do not require as much sleep as humans, so I will wait until we have returned to the  _ Enterprise _ .”

Jim didn’t like it, but agreed and gestured for Spock to “Lead the way.”

It was a short walk through what seemed like a faintly illuminated tunnel through the woods, back to the cave. The vines had all retreated in their absence, leaving it as pristine and lifeless as they had found it. Even the rock they had heated with their phasers to dry themselves off and stave off the cold was exactly where they had left it in the middle of the cave, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Jim heated the rock up again with his phaser and they used it to cook a few of the remaining fruits they had gathered - the ones that Jim hadn’t dropped. Spock monitored them with the tricorder, and declared them done as soon as all the toxic proteins had denatured.

Jim swallowed as much of the bitter fruit as he could, leaving a bizarre tingling in his mouth. He couldn’t help but ask, “You’re sure you got all the poison out?”

Spock raised an incredulous eyebrow at him in response.

Jim supposed he was right; Spock wouldn’t have suggested he eat it if there was even a chance that it was still poisonous.

They left the remainder of the fruit for breakfast the next day, and Jim tried to make himself comfortable on the ground next to the still glowing rock. Meanwhile, Spock moved to the mouth of the cavern to sit watch through the night.

Jim lay on his back on a relatively warm, flat part of the cavern floor, staring up at the dark ceiling. He could only barely see the bumps and grooves in the rough rock above. He glanced over at Spock, sitting a few feet away, perfectly still, his legs crossed as though he was meditating again. It had been a long time since he’d fallen asleep to that sight, usually beside him on the bed in his quarters on the  _ Enterprise _ before the refit. The beds were clearly made for one, but somehow the two of them had squeezed onto it - not that the new beds would be any better.

But they were taking things slow. Jim let out a sigh and closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep.

“Is something troubling you?” Spock’s voice cut through his aimless thoughts.

Jim opened his eyes and propped himself up on his arm to find that Spock had turned around to face him.

“No,” Jim answered automatically.

He hesitated. It would be easy to leave it at that and try to sleep, but nothing would change if he didn't try.

"I was just thinking about before - our first five year mission together," Jim admitted as lightly as he could, as though he was testing the ice on a newly frozen lake.

Spock nodded in acknowledgement. Jim wished he could see Spock’s expression, but he was too far from their only source of light, and the glowing rock was too dim to illuminate anything but his general shape.

Jim waited for him to continue - Spock had yet to turn back around and resume his watch - but he said nothing. Perhaps he was waiting for Jim to speak, but he didn’t know what to say, especially when he could barely guess what Spock was thinking.

Jim’s heart sunk and he let himself fall back onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling, too restless to close his eyes.

Whether it was the feeling of privacy of sitting seemingly alone in the dark, or some other impulse that encouraged Spock to speak at last, Jim didn't know, but after a long silence he remarked, "I frequently reflect on our time together during our first five year mission.” He hesitated. “It had its merits."

Jim let out another sigh. Spock wasn’t giving him much to go on, but it was true, their time together had its merits… Jim gave a wry smile at the thought.

“Do you miss it?” Jim asked at last, testing the thin ice once more.

There was a long pause. Jim almost didn’t expect Spock to answer, or if he did to deflect with some logical pronouncement.

However, Spock did answer, very softly, but unmistakably, “Yes.”

With a sudden spurt of recklessness, Jim said, “I know we can’t bring back the past, and we’ve both changed, but we could... try again.”

Spock seemed to consider the suggestion. “Perhaps.” Jim could imagine Spock’s eyes narrowing as he attempted to puzzle out Jim’s intention - “Is there something in particular…?”

“No-” Jim cut short his reflexive reply. He would be pushing his luck, but this was as good a time as any and better than most. “Well,” he tried to keep his voice light, “For example, I was just thinking about how you used to stay in my quarters sometimes” - eventually it had turned into every night, but maybe that had been too much.

Spock hesitated again. Jim wondered if maybe he had gone too far, pushed too much. He couldn’t read Spock’s mind, couldn’t even guess what he was feeling like he used to think he could.

But to Jim’s surprise, Spock finally answered, “I would be amenable to your company.”

Jim could not help but smile, even though Spock certainly couldn’t see it in the dark - at least, Jim didn’t think that was one of his many Vulcan abilities. Heartened, Jim sat up and scooched over to where Spock was sitting guard. He lay back down beside him, so they were close, but not quite touching. Jim could imagine the warmth radiating off of Spock.

“Good night, Spock,” Jim whispered, once he was comfortable - at least as comfortable as he could get on the hard rock.

“Good night, Jim.” Spock gently rested a hand on Jim’s shoulder.

* * *

Jim managed to sleep until a little before dawn, only waking up a few times to toss and turn in the night. They cooked a few more of the bitter fruits on the phaser-heated rock in the center of the cave as the sun began to rise, illuminating the alien forest in a soft grey light, and then they set off. Spock led the way through the woods, following the faint, distant signal of the rest of the landing party. It seemed the others were in motion as well, presumably heading back to the city.

Jim and Spock talked little, both intent on the mission at hand. Spock still walked with a rigid posture, but he was a little less cold, and Jim for his part, was serious, but with a faint smile and some of the thrill of an adventure finally coming to a head. As much as he enjoyed commanding from the bridge, it didn’t feel like he was actually exploring the galaxy if he didn’t beam down to an alien planet every once in a while.

The sun was nearly at its peak by the time the forest began to thin and give way to the thick mat of vines. The vines grabbed at them as they approached and wound up their legs. Spock stiffened at the touch and his features flattened so he was even more unreadable than before. But the vines made no attempt to pull them under.

Jim rested a hand on Spock’s arm in an attempt to convey his sympathies, but it did little to help him relax.

Spock was scanning the area for the others with his tricorder, when they heard a shout.

“Jim!”

Dr. McCoy and a trio of security officers hurried out of the woods to meet them.

“I was worried those vines swallowed you up!” Dr. McCoy exclaimed. He rounded on Spock - “Where did you run off to?”

Jim stepped between them. “Later,” he cautioned Dr. McCoy with half a smile. To the rest of the landing party, he said, “We’re going to try again to convince them, but be ready to beam back up if things go south again.”

With that, they marched into the city. More and more vines wrapped around them as they walked, but following the captain’s example, they paid them no heed. They strode past curious onlookers, to the central square, and into the tall building with the giant fern above vine-covered doors.

They passed through the central chamber, into one of many winding corridors that branched off of it, and went straight to the council chamber where they had first been received. Several officials were already gathered there, discussing some no doubt essential matter among themselves.

The officials stopped speaking as the landing party entered the room.

“What are you doing here?” The largest among them demanded.

“I’m sorry for intruding,” Captain Kirk said. “We didn’t mean to offend you before, and request that you at least consider trading with the Federation if you won’t allow our scientists to study your medicine and possibly help advance it in the process.”

“How dare you return!” The official roared.

“It wasn’t easy,” Kirk remarked. “At least let us return to our starship and leave you in peace - something on your planet has been preventing us from contacting her. If you will forgive the  _ accidental _ insult, we can send an ambassador who will hopefully be able to explain everything more clearly.”

The officials communicated among themselves, vines gradually shifting around them.

Finally, the largest of the officials spoke to Kirk, “If you speak the truth, and were unable to return to your spaceship, then perhaps you are wiser than your words suggest. Otherwise, you would not have made it back. Therefore, we permit you to send a diplomat, who, for their sake, is hopefully better at speaking than yourself. We no longer regard you as enemies, so you should be able to contact your vessel.”

“Thank you,” Kirk said. He pulled out his communicator - “Kirk to  _ Enterprise _ , do you read me?”

“Captain Kirk?” Sulu exclaimed on the other end. “You’re coming in loud and clear! And it looks like our sensors are finally clearing! What happened down there?”

“It’s a long story,” Kirk said with a grin. “Six to beam up.”

“Yes sir!” Sulu said and a few moments later the landing party dematerialized in columns of golden light.

* * *

One Ambassador Later:

The ship’s gardens were in full bloom, as always. For the occasion, they had brought out the most exotic plants from the botany lab to sit among the usual favorites. Lieutenant Commander Sulu had enthusiastically volunteered to lead the diplomatic party on a small tour and was in the middle of showing off his favorite carnivorous plant, Gertrude. It eagerly snapped at the ogling crowd.

“Now this one is alive!” The largest of the representatives of Motus IV exclaimed.

Sulu grinned back. “All the plants are alive, they’re just not quite as active as yours.”

The representatives of Motus IV had, of course, brought along their own greenery. They would have been quite naked without them; colorful vines wrapped around their bodies where clothes would have been, and followed behind them in long trains besides. Their crystalline faces were blank, but their vines seemed to explore with a voracious curiosity.

Commander Spock was careful to stay well out of their way, at the end of the procession. In front of him, a handful of the  _ Enterprise _ ’s senior officers mingled with the representatives from Motus IV, the ambassador who had made the gathering possible, and her staff. Still others had broken off from the grand tour to wander around the gardens in smaller groups, away from their respective superiors.

Admiral Kirk was standing toward the edge of the tour, in the midst of an avid discussion with one of the more restrained representatives of Motus IV - if their simple grey vines were to be believed. For an instant, he glanced back at Spock and shot him a sympathetic smile, and then his attention returned to the conversation as though it had never left.

But it was not long before Kirk slipped away and appeared beside Spock.

Spock raised his eyebrows at the captain in an unspoken question.

Kirk smiled at him, perhaps a little sheepish, but he kept his voice light as he remarked, “They do some impressive work, mostly botany, but there are some papers on empathy you might find interesting.”

Spock nodded in acknowledgement. The secrets of Vulcan telepathy lingered unmentioned between them. “I did not intend to interrupt your conversation,” he said, though he was not certain why the captain had ended it.

Kirk waved off the question. His eyes held Spock’s for several moments too long. A hopeful spark fluttered nervously in Kirk’s chest.

The others slowly moved on, continuing on their tour, but Kirk put a hand on Spock’s arm before he could follow. Spock obliged and waited as the others meandered out of sight.

At last, they were by all appearances alone - though Spock could still hear the tour in the distance. Only then did Spock say softly, “Jim?”

Jim smiled, but did not reply. Instead, he began to lead Spock in the opposite direction from the others. Jim’s eyes wandered, admiring the trees and flowers and other plants from all over the galaxy, though he could still feel Spock’s intent gaze fixed upon him.

At last, Spock attempted again, “Jim” - Jim turned to face him - “I owe you my gratitude. If you had not found me in the forest of Motus IV, I would not have been able to escape.”

“Just returning the favor,” Jim said. His expression turned serious as he hesitated over his next words. He glanced away, and then back at Spock - “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself otherwise.”

"Still, I am grateful for  _ everything _ you have done for me," Spock said firmly. With an almost human impulsiveness, he put a hand on Jim’s arm to emphasize his words.

Jim could not hold back a grin. He tentatively reached out to Spock with his first two fingers.

Spock mirrored the gesture and brought their fingers together, touching ever so lightly, but enough for Jim to feel Spock’s heart racing through his finger tips - or perhaps it was just his own. A rush of feeling beyond words passed between them, a heady wave of love and longing and so much else, powerful enough to almost be all consuming, but somehow fragile.

At last, they drew apart. Jim’s eyes slowly opened, though he did not remember closing them, the world around him suddenly over bright and his mind still reeling from the rush of feelings that were and weren’t his own. His heart pounded in his chest and he could see that he wasn’t the only one left a little winded.

That was a lot deeper than they had gone in a long time, and Jim couldn’t help but wonder what a full mind meld would bring.

Spock recomposed himself, drew himself up to full height with his perfect posture, and watched Jim with a carefully questioning gaze. Spock hadn’t really meant to let it get that far - Jim could see it written all across his restrained features.

Jim smiled back, though he probably looked more breathless than reassuring.

Spock’s eyes narrowed, as though that would enable him to see more clearly what Jim was thinking, but all he saw was a very human smile that he somehow still found disarming.

Jim gestured for them to continue wandering through the garden.

It took all of the human qualities Spock had - good and bad - to angle an arm around Jim’s waist as they went.

Jim glanced over at him, unable to believe his senses, but he could feel Spock’s arm brushing up against his back, even as the Vulcan walked beside him, staring straight ahead as though nothing had happened - nothing he was willing to admit to, at least. Jim just grinned even wider and leaned into Spock’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who stuck with me throughout this tumultuous journey! This marks the end of this little series, but, of course, there's always more to come!


End file.
